June 2012: International Criminal Court, Peace, and Justice

From Retribution to Reconciliation, from Spoiler to Peace Envoyby Christine Bell “So the most interesting question about this piece is: why does Ian Paisley Junior, a proud spoiler, now sit with the peace brigade rather than the justice brigade in the ICC debate? Why does he sing the praises of peace agreements and reconciliation? Why does he want to make sure that forgiveness is put ahead of prosecution? When did he become such a supporter of cooperation between erstwhile enemies? And how on earth did be become a peace envoy for the UN and EU to Guinea-Bissau?”

“The global human rights community as a diverse constellation of actors should make a concerted effort to align its goals and not work at cross-purposes. This includes coordination with local actors and an appreciation for potential unintended consequences. Peace and justice are not mutually exclusive, but it does require certain centralized planning to reach the lofty goal of achieving both.”

“But in the end, global governance is as much local as it is presumably global. So what, we must ask, are states and local actors willing to do to help themselves? In the silence that often accompanies that question we find answers to the question of why we need the ICC.”